Heavenly Angel Food Cake
Ingredients:
1 cup sifted SOFTASILK cake flour
7/8 cups granulated sugar (200 grams), processed for 2 minutes until superfine
1 ½ cups egg whites (12)
1 ½ teaspoons cream of tartar
¼ teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoon vanilla
½ teaspoon almond extract
¾ cups granulated sugar (160 grams), blended in a food processor for 2 minutes until superfine (this helps the sguar suspren
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Set out, but do not grease, a 10” tube pan, 4” deep.
Sift the cup of cake flour first, then sift it, three times, with 7/8 cups (200 grams) of the superfine sugar. Set aside.
Measure into a large mixing bowl the egg whites, cream of tartar, salt, vanilla and almond extract. Beat with a wire whip on high until foamy, then gradually add the ¾ cups of superfine sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time.
Continue beating until the meringue holds stiff, straight peaks when the wire whip is pulled up. Sift the flour-sugar mixture, 3 tablespoons at a time, over the meringue. Use a rubber spatula to cut and fold the flour in gently, until it disappears each time.
Carefully push with rubber scraper into deep tube pan, and even up surface of batter. Pull a table knife gently through the batter, in widening circles, to break any air bubbles.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until cake is golden brown and no imprint remains when finger lightly touches top of cake. Immediately invert the cake and let hang until cold, or overnight.
To remove from pan, use a serrated or very sharp knife and gently scrape along the sides, and then the base. Serve with real whipped cream and fresh berries.
Tips:
- Any amount of egg yolk will prevent the whites from whipping. To prevent this from happening, separate the egg whites first into a small bowl before adding to the measuring cup, and discard any that have yolk in them.
- Save the yolks to use in another recipe.
- Room-temperature egg whites will whip better than cold ones.